


Shattering the Calm

by MagicMaryse



Category: Psy-Changeling - Nalini Singh
Genre: F/M, NetMind - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-01-20 21:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12441987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicMaryse/pseuds/MagicMaryse
Summary: After being shot by an unknown assassin, Nikita Duncan is moved to a place she had once built for emergencies like this. While the entire world is preparing for a seeminlgy inevitable war, the ex-councilor faces the perhaps biggest challenge yet, lying her life into the hands of Andrew Brown, former sentinel and now advisor of Lukas Hunter and the DarkRiver leopards.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I finally managed to get an invitation and am now also posting my stories here.   
> There are not many fanfictions out there about Nikita and while I truly ship her and Anthony, I wanted to write something different. I hope you enjoy reading the first chapter!
> 
> Feel free to leave behind some reviews and let me know what you guys think about this idea!

Andrew POV:

Andrew Brown, former sentinel of DarkRiver and now advisor to Lukas Hunter, was more than just pissed about his current situation. Not only had his pack decided to send him to some unknown place to guard one of the most dangerous women the world had to offer, but he also would not be able to stay at his leader's side during such a difficult time of assassination attempts and an upcoming war between a variety of different parties. The leopard growled angrily and Andrew, who was about to get the coffee he had ordered, slammed a hand against the vending machine in front of him. He wasn't even allowed to leave this goddamned place to hunt or get fresh air! The underground bungalow that had been built in case Nikita had to go into hiding was by no means narrow or uncomfortable. Max Shannon had described it as a massive, hospital-like wellness resort that even offered a small park for the leopard run in although the space was clearly limited to a few hundred meters. Still, it was a huge area that reminded Andrew more of a luxury hotel than a bungalow originally built for survival. The walls where mainly a plain white but the architect had made sure to hand up paintings by well-known artists to add some color to the otherwise neat rooms. Andrew was sure that building the bungalow must have cost Nikita a fortune though he was also sure that she must have recovered from the costs almost immediately, considering she was listed as one of the richest women in the world. He still didn't understand why a single Psy would need so much space and luxury if they didn't even use most of what the place had to offer.

The blinking display of the vending machine signaled for him to take his coffee and he slowly headed back to the room he had come from a few minutes ago.

When the door closed behind Andrew, he carefully surveyed the woman lying in the bed next to the window through which he could see the park below them. Nikita was still vast asleep which was not really surprising, considering that she had had surgery performed on her only forty-eight hours ago so he sat down in the chair opposite to her and took a sip from his coffee. Andrew still felt uncomfortable sharing a room with the ex-councilor because he didn't trust someone who could easily infect him with a deadly virus. Sascha and Lukas both had promised that Nikita would not harm the pack but he would always make sure to watch his back while he was stuck here.

Having sat in his chair for almost four hours, only getting up to go to the bathroom or to get himself a new coffee, Andrew felt his eyelids become heavy. He hadn't slept a bit since they had brought Nikita to the bungalow, just in case she'd wake up and tried to cut his throat, but now tiredness was washing over him and Andrew had to force himself to stay awake. Shaking his head he sat up straighter in the chair. Falling asleep right in front of Nikita Duncan was absolutely not a good idea. _Keep it together, Brown!_ He scolded himself and the leopard let out a quiet but furious growl.

"I have no intentions of killing you, Mr. Brown."

His head snapped up. Nikita's cool brown eyes were resting on him and again he had to scold himself. How could he have missed her waking up? Clearly, the tiredness was clouding his senses.

"Why do you tell me that?" He asked, trying not to sound as though he was about to fall asleep.

"It is obvious that you are exhausted. I suggest you sleep as you won't be of any use if you are not able to fight in case someone finds us here," Nikita simply stated, her voice still sounding a bit croaky.

Andrew narrowed his eyes. The leopard didn't want to close his eyes and drift off into a state he'd be vulnerable in but the man argued that she would have already killed him had she really wanted to.

"How can I be sure my head isn't going to explode the second I turn my back to you?" The question sounded harsher than he had intended but Andrew doubted that Nikita cared about the tone in his voice too much, if she was able to catch it at all.

"It would not be a very wise move to kill a member of the pack I make business with, Mr. Brown." Again a cool and collected answer from the woman who had almost died less than two days ago and all she cared about was business.

He snorted. Even in her current condition, when she was visibly weaker than Andrew himself, did Nikita Duncan not back down and admit her vulnerability.

"Alright," he answered and put the empty coffee mug on the small table beside his chair. "If you say so…"

Andrew didn't trust her but he trusted his alpha's judgement. Lukas' mate was Sascha Duncan, Nikita's daughter, and rumor had it that the ex-councilor would tear apart anyone who tried to harm the only offspring she has ever had. Besides, he knew she was right to say he'd be of no use in a fight if he was too exhausted so Andrew decided to take the risk and leaned back in the chair to rest his head against the cool wall. His body would hurt like hell by the time he woke up but there was only one bed in the room, which he certainly did not want to share with Nikita Duncan, and he didn't want to leave her alone in case something happened while he was asleep.

Despite his exhaustion, Andrew closed his eyes and let the leopard stay at the surface, senses sharp and tense. The cat would make sure no one was going to cut his throat or the one of the woman he was protecting.

Nikita POV:

Nikita watched the man in the chair opposite to her bed close his eyes and drift into sleep. She had never heard of or seen him before until Sascha had informed her about their plan to move her to the hideout. Nikita hadn't had the time or energy to do researches about Andrew Brown but she had heard enough to know that he apparently was one of DarkRiver's most experienced sentinels and advisor to Lukas Hunter, her daughter's mate. She'd never admit it openly, but Sascha was one of only few people Nikita trusted in her life but she also knew that her daughter didn't have the killer gene. As an Empath, Sascha could feel the emotions of others and killing someone would fall back on her and could, eventually, lead to her own death.

Even though Nikita was in significant pain, she did not allow herself to go back to sleep. Instead, she reached out to the only person she trusted enough to not kill her.

_Anthony_ , she pathed.

_Nikita._ The familiar voice of Anthony Kyriakus replied only a few moments later. _Why are you conscious?_

_I have had enough rest, Anthony. What happened?_

For a few seconds, the other Psy stayed silent. _Apparently, someone hired a sniper to assassinate you in your office._

_I figured out that much._ Nikita replied coldly. _Have you found out who fired the bullet?_

_Not yet, but Aden and his team are working on it. It looks like the bullet is the same type as that used by the assassin who tried to hit him as well._

She thought about it for a moment. There was no doubt that the same person who had hired the first assassin was behind the failed attempt to kill her. _Do we know who he is?_

Anthony paused again. _You should rest._

He avoided her question which made her mind suspicious but his tone signaled her that he was not going to talk about the topic any longer. Even though she was used to be the one in command, she refrained from inquiring any further. _Goodbye, Anthony._

Nikita did not wait for him to reply. She, too, was exhausted and the pain in her chest, abdomen and head told her to go back under but she forced herself to stay focused on what was going on at the moment, recalling every detail she remembered about the day of the shooting.

Nikita had had an appointment with one of her clients. The meeting had went well without any further interruptions and they had both signed the contract she had set up earlier that day.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tall, blonde man stepping into the room. Nikita's sharp eyes took in his appearance, ready to strike in case he was going to try anything.

"You should have knocked, Doctor Miller," she informed him bluntly. "Not many people dare enter my room without announcing themselves."

And not too many of them survived that little stunt. She added in her mind. Nikita was by no means a psychopath, killing anyone who did not knock before entering her office, but most of her unannounced intruders meant to harm her.

"Yes, I am aware of that, Councilor Duncan," the doctor replied and his eyes fell on the sleeping sentinel. "I just assumed that you'd still be unconscious. I wasn't expecting you to be awake after such a short amount of time."

Nikita didn't give an answer to Doctor Miller's words and instead watched him check on the tubes and cables her body was connected to.

"I will come and check on you every two hours until I can be sure your life is no longer in danger," he said. "I will also have to look at your wounds later this day."

He hesitated for a second as if he expected her to give him permission.

"Do what you have to do, Doctor Miller," Nikita replied emotionless.

The doctor nodded once before glancing at Andrew one more time. "Should we bring in another bed for the changeling, Councilor?"

Nikita's eyes landed on the tall figure of Andrew Brown who was still vast asleep in the too small looking chair. "Yes, I think that would be appropriate since Mr. Brown is going to stay here for a bit longer."

Doctor Miller nodded again, closing the door behind him with a quiet _click_.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> This is chapter two of my story. I already have about nine written which I will post over the next two weeks and hope you'll all enjoy reading them!  
> I'm always looking for some feedback, so don't be shy and leave a comment! :)
> 
> Enjoy!

There were two things Andrew realized when he woke up again. Firstly, and it took his eyes almost no time adjusting to it, it was dark around him and only the silvery light of the bungalow's fake night sky illuminated a small part of the room. And secondly, his aching muscles, that screamed with every movement. Perhaps he should have changed into his leopard form and slept on the floor, at least he would have spared himself a stiff neck that way.

Andrew was glad that the machine Nikita's body was connected to didn't make those usual beeping sounds and he closed his eyes again for a moment to enjoy the unexpectedly soft silence surrounding him. When he concentrated hard enough, he could make out the other woman's heartbeat and her steady breathing. It was strange, he thought to himself, how a few hours ago he hadn't really trusted her and yet the slow rhythm of Nikita's heart seemed to relax both the man and the leopard.

When he opened his eyes again, he allowed his gaze to linger at her, taking in her appearance while she was sleeping. The silvery light made her skin look even paler, her dark hair surrounding her face like a halo of black satin. Andrew couldn't help but wonder if it would feel soft and smooth against his fingers but he restrained himself from walking over to her bed to touch it.

Andrew continued to stare at her when he suddenly realized what he was doing. The leopard let out a furious growl. What on earth was wrong with him? Had the man forgotten who Nikita Duncan was? What she was capable of?

Andrew felt the animal's claws sink into his skin and the pain reminded him again of the direction his thoughts were taking him. Yes, he was one of the unfortunate ones who had not found their mate but that did not mean he should throw himself at the most dangerous woman the world had to offer. _Beautifully dangerous…_

There was something about her that had caught his attention, something that made the leopard curious, something… _intriguing._

Andrew shook his head. He'd have to be cautious around her, especially since she seemed to have gotten into his head way too easily and in less than three days which was definitely not a good sign to begin with.

After a quick glance at his watch which told him that dawn was still a couple of hours away, he decided to go back to sleep as he neither expected Nikita to suddenly burst awake and break his neck nor anyone else to do it. He was about to turn around in his way to small and uncomfortable chair when he realized something else. There was a second bed in the room now. Andrew wondered when they had brought it in but figured that it must have been while he had been asleep. He also asked himself if Nikita had been the one to request an additional bed for him to sleep in.

Right now, it didn't really matter to him but his muscles would thank the ex-councilor later for thinking ahead. He stretched out on the surprisingly soft mattress, the smooth material of the blanket gliding over his sensitive skin and the leopard purred happily.

Sleep had come over him almost immediately, but instead of the usual darkness surrounding him, Andrew found himself in a small room full of bookshelves along the walls and a black leather couch in the middle. There were no windows, just a single grey door that seemed oddly out of place and yet he felt as if it belonged exactly where it was. It was strange, Andrew thought. He was sure he was dreaming but the last thing he as a leopard would want to dream about was a narrow room without any connection to nature and it slightly irritated him.

"What are you doing in here, Mr. Brown?", asked a cool voice from behind him and he turned around to see Nikita Duncan standing near one of the bookshelves, arms crossed and cautiously eyeing him. Again, he had failed to recognize her presence, a mistake that could cost him his life outside the bungalow.

He frowned. "That is a really good question, Ms. Duncan."

He refused to use her former title but she did not acknowledge it. Instead, Nikita raised an eyebrow at him, something he had never seen a Psy wit flawless conditioning do before. Interesting, and definitely something he'd remember in the future.

"I have never let anyone see this before and I most definitely did not invite you in," she informed him, a dangerous warning swinging in her voice.

He let her words sink in. If what she said was true, she must have had this dream or whatever it was before but Andrew knew that Psy didn't dream – not ever. So what was it about Nikita Duncan that made her not fit into everybody else's picture of the Psy?

"You have had this before?" He was playing with fire and he knew it but the leopard was fascinated by this new discovery, excitedly walking up and down in its cage.

Andrew watched her, taking in every move she made.

Nikita moved over to the couch, gracefully sitting down with her head held high, still watching him with dark brown eyes. There was absolutely no emotion in them and yet, he was sure that there was something she was hiding not only from him but from everyone else.

"Psy don't dream," Nikita simply stated and the leopard growled.

"What would you call this then?" Andrew tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice but he failed miserably. "An illusion?" He pointed to the bookshelves around the room and the black couch she was sitting on.

Nikita POV:

There were not many times Nikita knew she was wrong, and never did she have to admit her mistakes but right now there was nothing she could say to avoid telling the truth. So she did the only thing that seemed reasonable enough to her; Nikita stayed silent.

After the shooting, she had found herself in significant pain and, as a reaction, had put herself in a coma-like state, discovering that even though her outer shields were still intact, her inner ones had suffered dramatically from the recent events. She did not, however, have the strength to repair them yet but she could not afford to let the wards break because, ultimately, this would lead to her own death and Nikita Duncan was not going to let that happen. To the world out there, she was nothing more than the cold, ruthless business woman people believed her to be. A reputation she had fought hard to establish, one that also served as protection not only for herself but for her daughter who would not have survived under the severe protocol of Silence. It was the woman she wanted the world to see while the real Nikita had been buried deep inside her mind the day Sascha was born, surrounded by countless walls of unbreakable ice.

"What is it that you are hiding, Nikita?" Andrew asked, his glacial blue eyes searching her for an answer as if he could read her mind by just looking at her with enough intensity.

He was getting personal, a fact she did not like - if she was even capable of expressing her likes and dislikes. As a Psy, Nikita was trained not to show or feel emotions and yet it was there; this knowledge that he was invading her privacy and deep inside she knew it made her uncomfortable.

"That, Mr. Brown, is none of your business." Nikita put as much coldness into her voice as possible, but at the same time realized that she had just admitted to hiding something from him.

Andrew chuckled quietly and his eyes sparkled with something Nikita recognized as amusement. She had studied emotions and facial expressions many years ago, finding it necessary to be capable of reading and understanding her clients' behavior.

"Who are you trying to fool?" He said, sitting down next to her. "You already are a target of Pure Psy and you have publicly stated your opinion about Silence. What are you afraid of showing us?"

Again, Nikita did not answer him immediately. Was he able to read her mind or was he just playing with her? _Playing_ , what an odd word for her to use, she thought. Nikita didn't know how to play or how to have fun. Psy didn't have the same upbringing humans or changelings had so playing was not part of their life.

"I do not have feelings, Mr. Brown," she reminded him. "I am not capable of feeling fear, nor any other emotion for that matter."

He snorted and shook his head. "You can fool your people, Nikita, but you can't fool a changeling. Your conditioning may be flawless but you are not silent."

Her heartbeat quickened a little when he leaned in closer and raised a hand to carefully touch her chin. The contact was jolting, sending light waves of pain through her sensitive nerves and, instinctively, Nikita reached for her telekinetic powers to shove Andrew away from her.

Even though her attack must have taken him by surprise, he managed to land on both of his feet.

"If you do something like this again, I'm going to kill you," Nikita informed him bluntly, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat. "You've already invaded my privacy by coming here, but you will never touch me again."

Andrew POV:

He was pushed out of the dream by a sudden force that caught him off guard once again. When he opened his eyes, Nikita was still sleeping peacefully – or as peaceful as she could be after their little incident in the dream.

Andrew was furious and he felt the leopard's presence trying to break through. How could he have been so stupidly blind? His heart was racing inside his chest, beating against his ribcage while adrenaline rushed through his veins. He just couldn't resist the urge to touch that ivory skin of hers so he had reached out – a terrible mistake Nikita had made him pay for. No more touching. How on earth was he going to survive without touching her now that he had done it once? He wanted to break her conditioning, wanted to melt those damn walls she kept building around herself for protection. Protection from what? _He_ wanted to be the one to protect her. Andrew had felt her racing heartbeat, had seen the surprise briefly in her eyes when his hand had touched her skin. He needed her to trust him but Andrew had a feeling that he would have to go a long way to regain that little trust that had been there in the beginning. Even if it was based solely on his alpha's word and Sascha's insurance that neither of them was a danger to the other.

With a furious growl, Andrew jumped out of the bed. He needed to get out of this room as long as he still had control over the animal that was rattling on its cage to be let free.

As soon as he stepped into the park, he shifted into his leopard form, not caring for his clothes to get ragged in the process.

Nikita POV:

Nikita had shoved Andrew out of her head with all the force she could bring up. Her shields were weak, not functioning properly to prevent anyone from coming too close. Nikita barely touched anyone; she hadn't even touched Sascha in years. How could she even let him get this close?

Nikita looked down on her trembling hands. She would fix this mess tomorrow, making sure that none of her shields had any cracks left that could eventually lead to the failure of her entire system. She'd make sure to undergo reconditioning so every single feeling she had had today would be erased. The walls of ice she had built around herself would not break; Nikita was not going to let that happen.

However, she had not taken into consideration that ice, no matter how thick, could melt if exposed to too much heat and that leopard was beginning to bring summer to the arctic mind of hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Sorry for the late update. I've had so much to do for university an having two other jobs while studying for exams can be a bit tiring.   
> With only 20 hits, the story isn't too popular so, fortunately, I didn't keep too many people waiting. I'll try to post more before Christmas though.

The next day, Andrew had been pacing around the park for the rest of the night, he found himself walking toward Nikita's room again. It wasn't like he had planned to go there in the first place, but his body subconsciously felt drawn to her and so his feet had begun to carry him this way. He stopped dead in his track and immediately headed off into the opposite direction.

Talking to Nikita was probably not the best idea at the moment. Not when his mood was still heated up and his mind not able to produce any clear thoughts.

It was better for both of them, he told himself. Andrew still felt like an idiot for letting his animalistic tribes get the upper hand when he should have suppressed his urge to touch her. Nikita was nothing like Sascha or Faith. Unlike her daughter, she was not on the edge of having a mental breakdown because as far as Andrew knew, Nikita was not an empath; she was a Gradient 9.1 TP-Psy - and telepathic abilities were not based on feelings.

She wasn't anything like Faith either. Even though the small redhead, who was Vaughn D'Angelo's mate, had grown up in complete isolation, she had been more open to emotions than Nikita. An advantage caused by her cardinal abilities in foresight that were also based on feelings. It had taken Vaughn a while to warm her up and break her conditioning, showing Faith what she had missed out on during her life under Silence. Lucas had more luck with Sascha's already crumbling walls of ice and her being an empath and Andrew had watched both men change for the better ever since.

He couldn't help but envy them as he had never been granted the wish to share what they had - to love someone with all his heart and devout his life to his mate. If he was honest, he'd already given up all hope to ever find the love of his life, accepting that he'd be one of the unfortunate ones who were not meant to share.

Andrew knew that he wouldn't be as lucky as his pack members; Nikita was more than two decades older than Sascha and Faith, hadn't been touched in years for all he could tell. Her being a Council member did not make things any easier. Nikita probably had had to build impossibly strong shields to protect herself from the other Councilors who were all as ruthless as she herself.

Hell, had he been in her position, he would have done the same. Always in fear someone could try to kill her the second she looked away, always keeping an eye on her enemies, leading an entire race and raising her flawed daughter to adulthood. The woman was a miracle to the leopard and part of him admired her for her strength and unbreakable will.

Another part, however, despised her for being who she was; a ruthless, cold-hearted and calculating business woman who achieved her goals with a sometimes cold blooded cruelty. She wasn't exactly evil, as Sascha had once pointed out, but Nikita Duncan would ally herself with the devil if it meant a gain in power and wealth.

The beast in Andrew was still restless, not sure what to do with its new feelings towards the Councilor. It wanted to tear her apart with its sharp claws and sink its teeth into her to taste blood, but on the other hand it wanted the woman to run her hand over the leopard's smooth fur, wanted to feel her and taste her ivory skin. It was driving him insane.

The frustration about Nikita Duncan and her ability to completely turn his feelings upside down was almost too much to take.

Andrew scowled, making his way to God knew which part of the hideout. The corridors looked so much the same, he felt like he was back on one of those Navy ships where each deck equaled the other.

"Are you lost?" A female voice interrupted his thoughts, startling him.

"Excuse me?" Andrew turned around and realized that his words may have sounded a little too harsh, but as soon as he caught the metallic smell of the psy in front of him, he restrained himself from apologizing.

The woman's expression was blank, completely lacking in emotion. "If you need help orientating, I can bring you a map of the facility."

The offer was so very Psy that his instincts told him to send her to hell, but his brain argued that a map would indeed be helpful in his situation.

"Yes, thank you for your offer," Andrew said politely, remembering his manners.  
He expected her to go somewhere to get the map but to his surprise she happened to carry one in the pocket of her medical scrubs.

That reminded him of something.

"Are you one of the doctors here?" Andrew asked and took the piece of paper from her Hands.

The woman nodded, her firmly pinned up hair remaining strictly in place. "I am part of the medical team that was hired to take care of the Councilor if that's your question."  
The thought of having his life depend on someone who didn't feel made Andrew's hair stand on end. He just couldn't imagine Tamsyn, or Shayla before her, being anything but passionate about their work and their will to heal others.

"How's the Councilor doing?" He asked, using Nikita's formal title, "Is she stable?"

The doctor looked at him for a moment with cool blue eyes. She probably wasn't sure whether she was allowed to pass on this kind of information about her employer to a changeling. "Her physical status is stable, the Councilor is recovering from her wounds as planned. However, the healing process will take its time as we have decided not to use fast-healing techniques due to the depth of her injuries."

Andrew frowned. "You said her physical status is stable. What exactly does that mean?"  
"You are referring to her psychical status?" He nodded. "Due to some... difficulties the Councilor has requested to undergo reconditioning. The process will stabilize her shields and prevent her mind from deteriorating."

The psy made it sound like this was the most natural thing in the world, like it was something you'd go and tell your neighbor about. Andrew's blood froze in his veins and his heart skipped a beat.

Reconditioning. He knew the word, knew the meaning of it and it made his mind go blank. The leopard saw red and furiously tried to free itself from its mental cage.

How could Nikita Duncan possibly think that erasing all her emotions could be the right thing to do? Andrew wouldn't let them take her away from him, make her even more like the ice sculpture she already was.

"You can't be serious," he said, clenching his jaw. "She has just undergone serious surgery - she'll be too weak to handle being brain wiped!"

The woman didn't even flinch at the aggression in his tone. Instead, she replied calmly with a voice of steel. "The Councilor is aware of the risks and is acting against medical advice. However, influencing her decision is beyond our authorization."

Andrew stared at her. "No, you're just scared that someone will have to wipe up the remains of your brains if she infects you with a virus."

"I can only repeat myself," she said, sounding very much like a robot. "We do not have the authorization to decide for the Councilor."

Andrew gave her one last furious glare before heading down the corridor with determined strides.

Looking at the map, he realized he was only a few blocks away from Nikita's room.  
If she wanted to be stubborn, so be it; he'd play along and make her see reason. And if he had to beat her unconscious, he didn't care.

Nikita was laying in her bed in the neat white room, her eyes closed and her breathing even; she was sleeping. For a split second, Andrew stood frozen in the doorway, thinking about his options. The hell with the consequences, he'd wake her up right now and get this straight.

Andrew made his way across the room and sat down on the bed next to her.

If you touch me again, I am going to kill you. Those had been her exact words last time but he was willing to take the risk of it meant she'd change her mind about reconditioning.  
Andrew reached out, gripping her hand firmly and readying himself for her to attack. Nikita's eyes shot open and she gasped at the sudden contact, immediately withdrawing her hand.  
"Were my orders not clear enough, Mr. Brown?" Her voice was icy, not giving away the faintest touch of emotion.  
"Quite clear, actually," Andrew answered, relieved that she hadn't used her powers on him again. "But extraordinary circumstances afford extraordinary measures."  
Almond-shaped eyes looked at him and Andrew could swear he saw a spark of anger in them but when he blinked, it was all gone again. Nikita was as cold as ice; unapproachable and completely emotionless. It made the beast in Andrew want to lash out at her for being so utterly stupid. Couldn't she see what she was missing out on?  
"You can consider yourself lucky to be alive after the stunt you've just pulled." A warning he didn't misunderstand; the next time he touched her without permission, she'd make her threat come true, he had no doubt about that.  
"You are not going to undergo reconditioning," he informed her bluntly, holding back the leopard that was pacing just beneath the surface. "You're not even close to a recovery from the injuries you've suffered."  
Nikita didn't flinch, she didn't so much as move or blink at his words but he could sense her uneasiness.  
"Mr. Brown," she said calmly. "As my security, you are responsible for my safety. My health, however, is nothing of your concern. If you do not or cannot follow the instructions given to you by your superiors, I will have you removed."  
Andrew stared at her, couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Then, a sly smile made its way across his lips. "There's only one tiny problem in your well-thought plan, Councilor Duncan," he said, pronouncing her title on purpose. "You can't fire me."

Nikita POV:

Nikita had a hard time focusing on the content of their conversation; she was too busy trying to prevent her shields from collapsing and put all her strength into it.  
The man in front of her was getting to her, erupting emotions deep inside her mind Nikita had thought to be long lost. She'd spent her entire life, half a century, to force her feelings behind a massive wall of ice with the only purpose being to survive in a world under Silence. Nikita had thought her Silence to be impeccable; so flawless that she could fool the entire psy population into believing that she was so cold her heart had frozen over.  
"I can ask for another sentinel to guard me while necessary." Her voice, calm and cold, did not betray what was going on inside her mind. Nikita had been taught to fake perfection; she was a master at her game and playing by her own rules. "You are replaceable, Mr. Brown. I suggest you choose your words wisely."  
The cracks in her shields were still there, small but visible.  
"Well," Andrew replied in what Nikita recognized as defeat, though somehow she suspected that he wasn't done yet. "Since I do not seem to be able to change your mind, maybe your daughter will be more successful."

Sascha POV:

Sascha was curled up underneath the satin blanket next to her mate who was snoring softly. It was still very early in the morning, the sun had risen not long ago, and with Naya still asleep the couple could enjoy the silence while it lasted. Their daughter had been very active during the night before, keeping her parents on their toes almost the entire time.  
However, Sascha could not find the peaceful sleep her body was longing for; too many thoughts were racing through her mind, keeping her awake. She hadn't seen Nikita until shortly after the doctors had released her from the intensive care unit and although Andrew had called to tell them that everything was alright the next day, that Nikita was stable and recovering from her injuries, Sascha couldn't help but worry about her mother.  
An arm wrapped itself around her waist from behind, pulling her closer to Lucas' warm body.  
"What's bugging you, kitten," he said lazily, his voice still sleepy. "I know something's up, you haven't slept all night."  
She sighed. There was absolutely no point in lying to Lucas; he always knew if something was wrong or if she needed his comfort. It warmed her heart, the feeling of his love deep inside her soul burning brightly, shoving away the darker emotions that had been lingering there.  
"It's my mother," Sascha confessed with another sigh. "She's always been so strong, so ruthless and just invincible in my eyes that it never even occurred to me that she could get hurt."  
Lucas pushed himself up a little, pressing a soft kiss on top of her head and letting his hand slide up her right arm.  
"If there's one thing I've learned about your mother, kitten, it's that she's as tough and strong as an old wolf. It takes more than just a bullet to take her down. I bet she's already being a pain in the ass for Andrew."  
That made Sascha chuckle a little, her eyes shiny with tears.  
"She can be a bit difficult, can't she?" Sascha turned around to look Lucas in the face. His green cat-like eyes were filled with love and concern that she knew was directed only toward her. She reached out and tucked a black strand of hair behind his ear, then she leaned forward to capture his lips in a slow, sweet kiss that made her toes tingle.  
"Thanks," she murmured against his mouth. "For being there for me, Lucas."  
He smiled down at her, his eyes half closed. "Always, kitten."  
Just as they were about to kiss again, Lucas' phone started to ring and they both flinched, taken by surprise.  
The Panther growled at the device, probably killing the caller in his mind as he stood and walked over to the drawer and picked up.  
A moment later he frowned, then raised an eyebrow and grinned, holding out the phone for Sascha.  
"It's Andrew," he said as she took it out of his hand. "Something about Nikita being stubborn but he used too many swear words to understand the content of his tirade."  
She held the phone to her ear. "Andrew, what's wrong?"  
The other man let out a sigh of exasperation. "I'm trying to make Nikita see reason but she threatened to have me removed so I called you."  
Sascha frowned. "She can't do that, that's out of question and beyond her authority. Why would she want to send you away anyway?"  
She could hear Naya starting to wake up in the other room but when she turned around, Lucas was already on the way to look after her. Sascha smiled happily; she was glad to have him as her mate and being a father suited him surprisingly well. At least it kept him from doing anything stupid.  
"Sascha, she wants to undergo reconditioning," Andrew said and the smile froze on her face. "She's too weak for it but I can't convince her otherwise so I called you. I can handle leopards that have gone rouge, but I'm completely lost here."  
She nodded even though he couldn't see it through the phone. "We're coming over. Just... just keep her from doing anything she'll regret or that could cost her life."  
Sascha's heart beat wildly in her chest, not with excitement but with fear. If Nikita had decided to undergo reconditioning, something had to be wrong and Sascha wasn't sure if she could handle her mother's death. "And Andrew," she paused for a moment. "Thank you for calling."


End file.
